Description

BRIGHTON

TQ3006 PRESTON ROAD, Preston
577-1/12/1044 (East side)
Church of St John the Evangelist

II

Anglican church. The nave of 1901-2 , the chancel of 1926.
Nave designed by Sir Arthur Blomfield and Sons, and built by
James Longley; chancel added in 1926. Rock-faced stone with
stone dressings, roof of tiles. Chancel, nave, north and south
aisles, north-east vestry.
EXTERIOR: east window of 3 lights with geometrical tracery and
3 louvred lancets above; 2 lancets to north of chancel, 4 to
south; north and south aisles have ten lancets in pairs
between shallow buttresses and a parapet swept up and
interrupted over the buttresses; clerestories likewise ten
lancets in pairs with hoodmoulds linked by string; the west
end has flat-arched entrances to north and south aisles under
a pointed-arched moulding, the tympanum and angles of the
moulding filled with panels of foliage embracing crowns, with
a Y-traceried window above; the nave extends in the form of
deep buttresses embracing a narthex; side entrances pierce the
buttresses in the form of flat arches under a pointed arch
with glazed tympanum; the baptistery is rectangular in plan,
with parapet; the west end has a 2-light window with a
cinquefoil above, and 2 outer lancets; stepped louvred lancets
to apex, fleche of wood and lead at meeting of nave and
chancel. North-east vestry with one pointed-arched and 2
flat-arched entrances,and one 3-light trefoiled window; organ
chamber above.
INTERIOR: east window flanked by a pointed-arched panel on
either side, sedilia to south with simplified mouldings;
vault-shafts to the side walls decorated with bosses of
foliage; 2-bay arcade to south, now closed, organ chamber to
north; elaborate carved reredos of stone with 3 panels, the
central panel higher and depicting the Ascension; choir stalls
probably of a date with the chancel; terrazzo work to chancel
floor; simple chancel screen; multi-moulded chancel arch set
just below roof. Nave of 5-and-a-quarter bays with
roll-moulded capitals and pointed arches having a chamfer and
inner order; moulded sill band to clerestory windows; 3-bay
arcade to narthex and baptistery, the font set back in a
top-lit space under a broad segmental arch. Nave and chancel
are virtually under one roof with a 5-sided vault with
panelled ribs and panelling. Polygonal pulpit decorated with
elaborate Gothic work including engaged colonnettes of green
marble, all on a base of clustered columns; font of white
marble in the form of an angel holding a shell, by J
Whitehead. Original wrought-iron brackets and pendant ford
electroliers to nave.
(Carder T: The Encyclopaedia of Brighton: Lewes: 1990-).

Listing NGR: TQ3026906617

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St John the Evangelist's Church, Preston Village, Brighton at Wikipedia
• St John the Evangelist's Church, Preston Village, Brighton official website
• Wikidata Q7593791

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)